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The complete roadmap of iconic American tech

Throughout your life, you’ve likely been dragged to the American landmarks you were “supposed” to see: The White House, the Gateway Arch, maybe even the Grand Canyon.

But where’s the adventure in doing something that everyone does?

That’s why, in celebration of the Ford Mustang’s iconic 50-year history, we’re heading off the beaten path and onto a road trip that will ignite our trailblazing spirits. And along the way, we’ll introduce you to the 10 people shaping the future of technology.

Two legs — one East Coast, one West Coast — covering the must-see landmarks of tech innovation in America. From garages to dorm rooms, nothing is off limits. And when we’re done, you’ll not only be a certifiable tech aficionado, you’ll grasp the world-changing power that comes with being “Made in America.”

East Coast, Least Coast?

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to imagine innovation happening anywhere other than Silicon Valley. But don’t go thinking that America’s east side doesn’t have anything to offer an intrepid tech journeyman.

1. Boston, MA

Boston is quickly becoming the mecca for tech startups. Fueled by the intellectual output of institutions like Harvard and MIT, and a financial district brimming with VCs, Boston has the goods to become the tech capital of the world.

You need to:

Walk the Innovation District: This 1,000 acre start-up village is home to some hot tech up-and-comers, including streaming video specialist Brightcove, gadget marketplace Gazelle and e-Commerce player Rue La La.

Find “The Algorithm Window”: Mark Zuckerberg’s Kirkland House dorm room is one of the most historic places in tech — and according to Harvard’s student newspaper, The Crimson, you won’t be the first to sneak in.

Visit America’s Biggest Apple Store: Before you leave, don’t forget to pay tribute to the Apple gods at the largest iTemple in the USA, located at the heart of Newbury Street.

Tech innovators we met:

#1: Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook: Whether you still think Facebook is “cool” or not is irrelevant — the expansion of Zuckerberg’s social media empire has kept him at the forefront of the tech conversation. With acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as well as platform upgrades to include Virtual Reality video, the wunderkind from Kirkland House is proving that he has enough up his sleeve to remain on our watch list for years to come.

2. New York, NY

Our East Coast swing continues down the I-95 corridor to New York City. Of course, NYC is the “everything” capital of the universe, but it has a major presence in the realm of technology.

You need to:

Witness tech taking over the stock market: Three of the five largest companies in the world are American tech moguls, and you can watch them grow in real-time at NASDAQ’s Times Square headquarters.

Meet your 3D-printed self: The MakerBot Store, located on NoHo’s Mulberry Street, is the first retail operation for 3D printing, and while you’re there, you can print your very own likeness.

Explore “Silicon Alley”: New York’s tech hotbed is the Flatiron District — home to new-media companies, start-ups, and wandering NYU students emulating Twitter founder, Jack Dorsey.

Tech innovators we met:

#2: Bre Pettis, Stratasys: The most recognizable figure in the 3D printing space, Bre Pettis' MakerBot (now owned by Stratasys) took 3D printers out of the realm of science fiction, and onto desks of consumers. Factoring in past breakthroughs like the MakerBot store and his bright future — he'll be heading up the new "innovation workshop" at Stratasys — we think Pettis is a bonafide person of interest for techies.

#3: Jack Dorsey, Square: Jack Dorsey famously dreamed up the idea for Twitter in his dorm room at NYU. However, after handing over the reins to Dick Costello, Dorsey poured his talent and attention into Square, the innovative mobile payment platform Inc. counts among the “5 Tech Startups to Watch in 2015.”

3. Washington, D.C.

With the Big Apple in our rearview mirror, we can open up the throttle for the final stop on our East Coast tour: Washington, D.C. And while you won’t find a ton in the way of tech around our nation’s capitol, our one and only stop is a literal gold mine.

You need to:

Take home patent documents: As an American citizen, you are afforded the right to march into the U.S. Patent Office just outside the city limits and request copies of patent applications (for a small fee), including specifications and drawings. So you can score the blueprints for Apple’s next iWatch and wave them in Tim Cook’s face.

Tech innovators we met:

#4: Tim Cook, Apple: No, Tim Cook doesn't live in Washington, D.C., but he has proven to be a more-than-capable steward of Steve Jobs' patent empire — consistently ushering-in breakthrough technologies, even when the media thinks Apple has nothing left in the tank. We can't wait to see what will come out of the Tim Cook era — and the U.S. Patent Office — next.

West Coast, Best Coast.

The West Coast leg of our icon tour is the main event, where the rubber – literally and figuratively – meets the road.

1. Seattle, WA

We begin in Seattle: equal parts fertile ground for tech start-ups and marked territory for giants.

You need to:

Play “Amazon: Before and After”: Seattle is not only home to Amazon.com's global headquarters, it’s also where you’ll find the garage in which Jeff Bezos first cooked up the idea for his online retail empire. Visit both and see how far Amazon has come.

Get lost in the clouds: Seattle is the epicenter of the cloud computing industry, from colossal provides like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, to smaller scale operations like Bluebox and EMC. Take time to admire the nucleus of advanced Internet technology while dodging incoming rain clouds.

Tech innovators we met:

#5: Jeff Bezos, Amazon: Did you know that after more than 20 years of existence, Amazon still isn't profitable? The person who cares the least about that fact is Jeff Bezos, who is more interested in delivering innovation at breakneck speeds than slowing the growth of his company and settling for profitability. From drones to cell phones, Bezos is a true visionary to watch.

2. Silicon Valley, CA

Image: Flickr, Robbie Shade

Silicon Valley is about 700 miles from the Washington state border — leaving you plenty of time and track to mentally prepare yourself for the Disneyland equivalent of technology.

You need to:

Complete “The Great Garage Tour”: Many of today’s most powerful tech companies came from humble garage beginnings. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak spent their early Apple days in a Cupertino garage, Larry Page and Sergey Brin created Google in a Menlo Park garage that didn’t even belong to them, and Hewlett-Packard got it’s start in a Palo Alto garage — now commonly referred to as the birthplace of Silicon Valley.

Give some programmers a lift: Silicon Valley is home to Uber, the cab industry disruptor that’s cashing in on the mobile revolution.

Walk the sprawling (and evolving) Googleplex: Google’s massive base of operations might as well be a wonder of the world; featuring a bowling alley, seven fitness centers, laundry facilities, and a sculpture garden, Google’s rapidly expanding Mountain View, CA campus is emblematic of Google’s omnipresence in the digital landscape.

Study the most successful tech failure in the world: In the heart of San Francisco, you’ll find Stewart Butterfield, a man who risked everything to build the video game of the future and failed — not once, but twice. The thing is: he has two dynamite businesses and millions upon millions of dollars to show for it. See if you can learn his secret to failing upward.

Enjoy free anywhere WiFi: In keeping with its high-tech reputation, the city of San Jose offers free wireless Internet within the city limits. While San Jose isn’t the first municipality to give away WiFi, it is a model for future adoption.

See how Ford is becoming part of The Internet of Things: At the Company’s new research center in Palo Alto, scientists and engineers are working together to not only create advanced new vehicles but also to help change the way the world moves by solving today’s growing global transportation challenges from connectivity, mobility and autonomous vehicles.

Tech innovators we met:

#6-7: Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Google: Google wants to take over the world. What started as a search engine business has exploded into a tech powerhouse that's changing the way we think about the Internet, smartphones, even the cars we drive! Google's leaders aren't shy about taking risks to explore new territory, and for that, we'll be keeping our eyes on them.

#8: Travis Kalanick, Uber: Like many successful innovators, Kalanick dropped out of college to strike out on his own. After several years and a couple startups, Kalanick created his masterpiece: the ridesharing app that’s giving taxi companies a run for their money. Uber is still in its infancy as far as market penetration goes, but boasts an estimated value of $40 billion. We think this growing empire is one that deserves your attention.

#9: Stewart Butterfield, Slack: From the ashes of his twice-failed video game, Stewart Butterfield salvaged Flickr (sold to Yahoo for upwards of $20 million in 2005) and Slack — an enterprise communications platform that is already changing the way business is done at Facebook, NBCUniversal, and Intuit, to name a few top-notch clients. Despite having his occasional brushes with failure, we think Butterfield’s eye for ‘the next big thing’ will keep him relevant for a long time.

3. Los Angeles, CA

Last but not least, we need to venture down the Pacific Coast Highway, an iconic strip of road built for the beauty and power of the Mustang, so we can catch up with a budding tech star who plies his trade in the City of Angels. Put your sunglasses on and bring the top down on your Mustang — for the home stretch of our American tech tour, we’ll ride out in style.

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Document your story on the world’s first ‘disappearing canvas’: Los Angeles is home to some of the most photographable scenes in America, as well as one of the best ways to take and share your photos: Snapchat. What started as a social media gimmick has exploded into an equally must-have app and corporate communications strategy. So snap away at L.A. and appreciate the future of media.

Tech innovators we met:

#10: Evan Spiegel, Snapchat: Two years ago, after rejecting a $3 billion buyout offer from Facebook and a $4 billion offer from Google, you could’ve heard Evan Spiegel described as, “the dumbest 23-year old in the world.” But today, we think he’s onto something. The creator of the disappearing photo (and now video) message has turned Snapchat into a springboard for brand communications. We’re curious to see where Snapchat goes next.

ICON FIFTY tour rolls on

The celebration of Mustang's iconic fifty-year history doesn't end here — Ford has partnered with tastemakers in food, entertainment, sports, and design to create four more unique American road trips. For more information, and to choose your next iconic adventure, visit http://www.fordmustangicon50map.appspot.com/.

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